Federal investigators were in town this week to assess Hurricane Sandy damage. That's a key step in determining whether a disaster declaration and government financial help will come to the region.

Federal investigators were in town this week to assess Hurricane Sandy damage. That's a key step in determining whether a disaster declaration and government financial help will come to the region.

Statewide, the damage from Sandy far exceeded that left behind from several storms in 2011, lawmakers were told today. But the nine-day effort to restore power to more than 1 million customers was an overall success, according to state regulators and utility company executives.

Meanwhile, Pocono hotels and resorts continue to do brisk business in the storm’s wake. Although the power is back on here, utility workers from around the country are still working to restore power in New York, and many are staying here.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission yesterday announced its plans to convert to all-electronic tolling within five years. What do you think about scrapping toll booths? Share your thoughts.

Pennsylvania’s auditor general is calling for major changes in how Penn State is run in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

East Stroudsburg University students are concerned over the possibility of a faculty strike. ESU faculty members and their colleagues at 13 other state-owned universities began holding strike authorization votes this week.

Speaking of ESU, one student there has become a ‘model’ for her peers. The Henryville native has advanced to the final four on “America's Next Top Model.”

Now for today’s police blotter, a man robbed the CVS in Marshalls Creek on Monday night and made off with an unknown amount of oxycodone.

Stroudsburg Area School District officials will meet in executive session tonight to begin discussing contract negotiations with the teachers' union. The contract runs out in August.

Meanwhile, the United Way of Monroe County has had to tighten its belt and cut its budget in order to save programs. Contributions to the organization were down 14 percent in 2011.